Hamstring injury lands Borbon on 15-day DL

Rangers purchase contract of Chavez from Triple-A Round Rock

By Todd Wills / Special to MLB.com

ARLINGTON -- Rangers center fielder Julio Borbon was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday after straining his left hamstring tracking down a fly ball in the seventh inning on Friday. An MRI exam on Saturday revealed a hamstring inflammation.

Texas purchased the contract of veteran outfielder Endy Chavez to take Borbon's place on the Rangers' 25-man roster. Chavez, 33, was batting .305 (39-for-128) with eight doubles, two triples, two homers, and 17 RBIs in 30 games for the Round Rock Express. He has played primarily center field at Triple-A, but also saw time in left and right.

Borbon, who reported after the game that he's felt some tightness in his hamstring the past few days, said he felt a slight pull as he took a few steps when he broke for the ball hit by Angels catcher Hank Conger in the seventh inning. He said he didn't go full speed for the ball, trying to avoid a pop in the hamstring and a more significant injury.

The Rangers now have all three of their Opening Day outfielders on the DL -- Borbon, Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz. Hamilton and Cruz both could return in the next week to 10 days.

Chavez will be seeing his first big league action since suffering a season-ending right knee injury with Seattle on June 19, 2009. He played only eight games in the Minors last season as he returned from the injury, batting .387 (12-for-31) across three levels. He was in camp with the Rangers this spring, batting .270 (10-37) with three doubles and one RBI in 22 games.

The Rangers also announced that they transferred pitcher Brandon Webb to the 60-day DL. Webb opened the season on the 15-day DL as he continues to return from right rotator cuff surgery. His time on the 60-day DL is retroactive to Opening Day, meaning he is eligible to be activated on May 30.

Cruz needs to run before going on rehab

ARLINGTON -- Rangers manager Ron Washington said he needs to see outfielder Nelson Cruz handle all the running needed on the bases before the slugger is sent out on a rehab assignment.

Cruz, eligible to be reinstated from the 15-day disabled list on Thursday, could start a rehab assignment as early as Monday at Double-A Frisco if all goes well with the continued healing on his strained right quadriceps muscle. Cruz has been taking early batting practice.

Washington said he would like to see Cruz play five games in the Minors, or get roughly 20 at-bats before he is activated.

Feldman set for rehab start on Saturday

ARLINGTON -- Rangers right-hander Scott Feldman, coming back from right knee surgery, will make a rehab start Saturday night for Double-A Frisco.

Feldman is schedule for 75 pitches. He threw 4 1/3 innings in an extended spring training game on Monday, and while he allowed five earned runs, he was able to cover first base and do all the other things he needed to do.

"It feels good," Feldman said. "It's feeling better and better."

Manager Ron Washington said there is a plan in place for Feldman, but he wouldn't reveal what that is until the pitcher is healthy and ready to be activated.

Feldman said Friday that he is being stretched out to start.

Worth noting

 Ron Washington got to know Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew when the Rangers' manager was a player in Minnesota, so he was saddened to hear the news that the Twin's great will enter hospice care and no longer get treatment for esophageal cancer.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Washington said. "Harmon did a lot for the state of Minnesota and the city of Minneapolis."

 Dave Oliver, the Rangers' third-base coach under managers Bobby Valentine and Kevin Kennedy from 1987-94, is returning to the club as a special assistant to baseball operations.

 Mitch Moreland's first grand slam was wiped out by Wednesday's rainout (the Rangers were leading 7-0 when the game was stopped). It would have also been his first regular-season home run off a left-hander, Oakland's Gio Gonzalez.

Moreland did belt a grand slam off San Francisco lefty Jonathan Sanchez in Game 3 of last year's World Series. It was the Rangers' only win in the Fall Classic.

Todd Wills is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.